Scouting, Volume 31, Number 5, May 1943 Page: 23
This periodical is part of the collection entitled: Scouting Magazine and was provided to The Portal to Texas History by the Boy Scouts of America National Scouting Museum.
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sealed orders, which tell them that
they are explorers sent out by a
Natural History Museum to ex-
plore that section. They are told to
list all birds, plants, animals and
trees, and describe land formation,
roads and paths, lakes, creeks or
rivers, and the inhabitants. They
are told to make a rough sketch or
map of the area. After their job is
completed they return to Scout-
master and report results. Patrol
giving most complete report, wins
the game.
The tall fellow with a 72" stride
would have a stride scale looking
like this:
—r- T—r i i i
1 9 18 M 36
O 36
1
72
1
108
1
144
HARRY JONES
Map Making Made Easy
The plane table mapping method
is that used by the U. S. Army.
It is not only sufficiently accurate
for the purposes of field sketching,
but it is easy for boys to learn.
There are just three steps:
I. Making the plane table and
"alidade."
II. Making the "Stride Scale."
III. Making the map itself.
Step I — Make Plane Table
and "Alidade"
The plane table is nothing but a
board about 12 inches square sup-
ported on a simple tripod. The
alidade is used for sighting. It can
be a piece of ruler with two finish-
ing nails driven in it.
Step II
Scale"
Make the "Stride
(1) Measure off a 200' course.
(2) Each Scout walks over this
course, counting his strides. (A
stride is two steps, counted each
time the left foot strikes the
ground.)
(3) Each Scout makes his own
"Stride Scale" by marking the
edge of a piece of straight wood
or cardboard in inches. This can
be done on one edge of the alidade.
If you are using a scale of 200' to
the inch, which is a good scale for
mapping a small area, and it took
a Scout 40 strides to walk 200 feet,
he would put the figure 40 at the
1" point, 80 at the 2" point, etc.
(Formula: 200' on ground = 1"
on map; 200' = 40 strides; there-
fore 40 strides on ground =1" on
map.)
The above Scout would have a
Stride Scale looking like this:
—r—i r T T
1 10 zo JO 1
1
80
1
1
160
O 40
120
JOHN SMITH
Step III — Make the Field
Sketch
(1) Set up the plane table at
the point decided on for a starting
point. On the plane table is thumb-
tacked a piece of paper, and the
Scout carries compass, alidade,
stride scale and pencil.
(2) Draw the arrow symbol for
Magnetic North in the upper right-
hand corner of the paper.
(3) Place the compass near the
symbol so the needle or dial bear-
ing is in line with the arrow in the
symbol, and slowly turn the plane
table until the symbol is pointing
North as shown by the compass.
This is known as orienting the
map.
(4) Mark the starting point on
the map, place the alidade with
one end at this point, sight along
the alidade in the direction you
wish to go. (This is done by hold-
: . :
Photo by Robert E. Lynott
MAY, 1943 23
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Boy Scouts of America. Scouting, Volume 31, Number 5, May 1943, periodical, May 1943; New York, New York. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth313093/m1/25/?rotate=90: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Boy Scouts of America National Scouting Museum.